Provocation

July 31-August 1, 2015 / 16 Av 5775

Shabbat Va’etchanan

Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Consolation) –The Shabbat after Tish'a B'Av

Torah: Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11 / Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1 - 40:26

“Provocation”

Dear Friends,

In the fable attributed to Aesop, The Bear and the Bees, a bear was stung by a bee; the pain was so acute that in the madness of revenge, he ran into a garden and overturned a hive. This outrage greatly provoked the bee’s anger and quick as a wink, the entire swarm of bees flew out of the hive and began to sting the bear from head to heel. This fable reminds us that provocation evokes a response—usually one that will ultimately cause unwanted suffering.

It is precisely this type of provocation that Moses predicts will ultimately trip up the Children of Israel. In his final address to the nation, Moses repeatedly warns the people to remember the covenant at Sinai and to adhere to it once they settle in the Promised Land. Should the people go back on their agreement to adhere to God's law, they will suffer great consequences. “Take heed unto yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Adonai your God…” (4:23) Moses predicts that over time, the nation would indeed forget its prior commitments, “and shall do that which is evil in the sight of the Adonai your God, to provoke Him.” (4:25) Moses warns the people that this would provoke an immediate and harsh response from God.

Often, in the process of settling disputes, emotions are hurt and tempers flare.  Provocative actions are interpreted as aggression, which only raises the level of conflict.  Around and around it goes until things spin out of control.  Our tradition recognizes this piece of human behavior and seeks to teach a lesson.  In the search for reconciliation, keep calm and stay focused. Rather than provoke and incite, be a leader and seek peace. Zy a mentsch - Be a good person.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Tisha B’av – A Day of Hope

July 24-25, 2015 / 9 Av 5775

Shabbat Devarim

Shabbat Chazon – Preceding Tisha B’Av

Torah: Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 / Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1 - 1:27

“Tisha B’av – A Day of Hope”

Dear Friends,

Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of children, some of whom had lost relatives in the 2014 Gaza War. Hayout Bayhsian, a young girl of Ethiopian descent who had lost her father Sgt. Kshaun Bayhesian asked the Prime Minister, “How did it feel when your brother Yonatan (who was killed in the Entebbe raid in 1976) passed away?” Netanyahu leaned in towards the young girl and told her: “For me it was very, very difficult. We were very close… you possibly think ‘How can I live, right?’ That’s how I felt. But what did I figure out? I figured out that life is like a river that flows on and gets to new places. New turns and curves in the river. Then you find the way to overcome that feeling and to continue living, even though you always remember [the person you lost]. So continue living.”

On one day each year, the entire nation of Israel engages in mourning—fasting and sitting on the ground as if we are sitting Shiva for the destruction of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem. Yet, while we mourn and yearn for the redemption of the Jewish people and the world, our mourning represents a symbol of hope. This is because when we mourn for Jerusalem, we express our passion, devotion and connection to the Land of Israel through our actions. In Eliyahu Kitov’s “Book of Our Heritage” (vol. 3 p. 242) he writes, “It is told of the Emperor Napoleon of France, that he once passed the entrance of a synagogue in Paris on Tisha B’av. At seeing the Jews seated on the ground, weeping and lamenting over the destruction of the Sanctuary and the land, as if the calamity had befallen them only yesterday, he stood in amazement and said, ‘I vow that this people is destined for a successful future in its own land; for where can we find a single other people which kept alive similar mourning and hope for thousands of years?’” Napoleon’s prediction mirrored a statement found in the Talmud (Bavli Taanit 30b): “All who mourn [for the destruction of] Jerusalem will merit and witness the city in her joy.” The very act of mourning on Tisha B’av speaks to the devotion of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel. 

Today, in an era when the Jewish people have finally returned to the Land of Israel and built a flourishing Jewish state, we can look back and recognize how our national mourning over the ages kindled the flame of national hope throughout the long centuries of exile. That yearning spurred the early leaders of Zionism to reinvigorate and rebuild the Jewish Land. Today, we witness the fruits of their labor, in the thriving state of Israel boasting a strong, stable economy; a flowering nation whose technological innovations are changing lives around the globe; and a bastion of freedom, equality, and democracy in the most dangerous region in the world.

Yet, as long as Israel’s adversaries threaten her safety and security, she cannot fully rejoice. This year, as we express our sense of mourning for Jerusalem on Tisha B’av (Beginning on Saturday evening), we must channel our passion, devotion, and dedication towards ensuring that the state of Israel continues to grow and thrive as a land of brotherhood and peace for all of its inhabitants.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

July 17-18, 2015 / 2 Av 5775

Shabbat Matot-Masei

Torah: Numbers 30:2 - 36:13   Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4 - 28; 3:4

“The Best of Times, the Worst of Times”

Dear Friends,

These are great times to be a Jew.  The State of Israel is strong and vibrant and the American Jewish community is robust and diverse.  I just spent three weeks in Israel with my family and we experienced an Israel that is confident, modern, optimistic, and full of life.  The politics are extreme – some call it a ‘contact-sport’ – and everyone has an opinion, usually a very strong opinion.  Israel’s culture is diverse and well developed in all aspects - culinary, visual, music, dance, and so much more.  The place vibrates and pulses with the excitement of life. And Israel is up to date.  We saw the movie, “Inside Out” (highly recommended) at a theater that is more modern than anything we have here and the Ikea store in Netanya is larger than our Chicago area store. Israel is strong.  Her army is well-trained and on guard, ready to go on alert at any moment as the ‘Arab winter’ continues its ominous seething along Israel’s borders.

These are also very difficult times to be a Jew.  Anti-Semitism is clearly on the rise locally, on our college campuses, at the United Nations, and throughout many areas of the world, especially Europe and the Middle East. It is unfair.  It is a double-standard. It is both anti-Israel and anti-Jewish at the same time. It is ignorant and outrageous.  Now I will say it.  I am skeptical about the Iran deal announced this morning.  The deal with North Korea did not work decades ago.  I do not think this one will work either.  Iran has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and the US.  It supports, finances, and arms terror organizations around the world.  As I see it, no deal with the West will keep Iran from moving towards its goal and nuclear weapons will very likely be part of the equation.  The nuclear arms race throughout the Middle East that could result from this deal is equally troubling. Time and watchfulness will tell.

Our ancestors dealt with this “best of/worst of” scenario many times in our history.  Even in our Torah portion for this week, the Children of Israel were faced with successes and challenges, the sweet and the bitter.  Our ancestors never gave up - and neither should we. Despite the dire predictions, they moved on to the Promised Land and made their dream of a sweet and secure future a reality – and so should we. They confronted their enemies with determination and courage in order to overcome and live in freedom in their land – and so should we.

In these best of times and worst of times, let us commit ourselves to being our best Jewish selves.  To be a Jew is to be smart and realistic.  To be a Jew is to be relentless in the face of adversity and evil.  To be a Jew is to be a light to the nations.  To be a Jew is to live for justice, righteousness, and peace. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow